DAILY TAROT: XI. JUSTICE.
Instantiation of Logos
XI. JUSTICE.
This card represents Instantiation of The Divine Design
The number is XI (11) and is the 12th Card in the Major Arcana.
HOW TO CONSIDER THE TAROT
For an introduction to this series and an outline of how to appreciate Tarot, in a very different paradigm to what one may be used to, the reader is encouraged to familiarise themself with the following post: How to Appreciate Tarot—a Hermetic guide to Semiotics & Allegory
How to Appreciate the Tarot
Appreciation is that which accrues Soul and enlightens Spirit To appreciate Tarot, you do not need to subscribe to anything mystical or arcane, and one most certainly does not need to consult the booklets and the types of interpretations we encounter on the internet, which are no deeper than a typical lifestyle magazine for young readers. One just needs …
NUMEROLOGY
Numerology is the study of numbers. If mathematics is the language and the grammar, geometry is the syntax and poetry, and numbers are the base letters.
The number 11 is significant as it represents the first instance in this system where the concept of “rolling over” into a new tier is demonstrated after reaching the limit of the single digits (0-9). This then gives way recursively to 101. 11 is the gatekeeper between decimal and binary mathematics. (In a sequence if some went from tracked a sequence that jumped from 1 to 10, the third number in that sequence could be 19 or 100. If the third number was 11, you would know immediately you were counting in binary.)
11 is the first instantiation of the decimal, base-10 numeric system. Decimal counting is simple precisely because it is recursive, each change of 10 integers is an instantiation of the prior and the latter.
11 is a Prime.
11 is itself a visual representation of the Two Pillars, a common and recurring symbol in the Tarot, and pervasive to mysticism, Hermetica and Kabbalah.
11 is half of 22. 22 is the count of Cards in the Major Arcana as well as the number of letters in the Hebrew Alef-bet.
1 and 1 are the first two numbers in the Fibonacci Sequence, which introduces the idea of growth, evolution, and the inherent order within the universe. The Fibonacci sequence, found throughout nature and the cosmos, symbolizes the organic unfolding of life and the interconnectedness of all things.
Numerologists consider 11 to be a master number sandwiched between 11 and 12, both profoundly significant numbers and two alternative base values, decimal(base 10) and duodecimal (base 12). This numerical relationship underscores the interconnectedness and reflection between different levels of reality and dimensions of understanding, a pervasive interconnectedness that extends to the idea of Divine Justice.
GEOMETRY
11, represents the two parallel lines of plane Euclidian geometry, particularly the 5th Postulate, known as the Parallel Postulate.
Unlike Euclid's other four postulates, which are relatively simple and intuitively obvious, the fifth postulate is more complex and less self-evident. This led many mathematicians to believe it should be provable from the other four postulates rather than standing as a postulate on its own. For centuries, mathematicians attempted to prove the fifth postulate using Euclid's other four postulates, without success which led to the development of various geometric theories where the fifth postulate does not hold, such as spherical geometry and hyperbolic geometry. Each ‘World’, (or domain of existence), is subject to its own Law & Justice. A ‘World’ is a place in time, at a moment of space.
The situation with the fifth postulate has philosophical implications for the nature of mathematical truth and the understanding of space. The realization that different geometric systems could be logically valid raised questions about which geometry describes the physical space we live in.
The further philosophical implication is that the scope, curvature and fractality of a ‘world’, describe the physics of Cause & Effect it is subject to.
The concept that different ‘worlds’, or domains of existence, are subject to their own Laws & Justice, as exemplified by the implications of the fifth postulate, invites a contemplation of the diversity and relativity of truth and morality. It suggests that the cosmic law of Cause & Effect, much like the geometric principles that describe physical space, may manifest differently across various dimensions of existence, yet remains a unifying force that maintains balance and order.
The 11-pointed star, or hendecagram forms the base of the Statue of Liberty in New York City.
ETYMOLOGY
Vertical shallow Etymology finds the nearest root words and leaves it at that. Deep and Wide Etymology reaches down and laterally, to explore the full essence of meaning that is related to the word.
We get Justice directly from the Latin iustus meaning “upright”. The Pillars of Justice are upright.
We know Justice to mean “right order, rewarding everyone that which is due.”
Justice without Law is Disempowering. Law without Justice is Powerless. The highest form of Law is Divine Law, therefore the highest form of Justice is Divine Justice, which we simply call Cause & Effect.
Just also means “exactly” as in “that is just what we needed” and “in the very immediate past” as in “we have just witnessed the eclipse.” This usage underscores the concept of precision and appropriateness, resonating with the broader notion of justice in terms of balance and appropriateness within moral and ethical contexts. This temporal dimension of “just” underscores the significance of timing in human affairs, highlighting how the relativity of actions and events can be influenced by their proximity in time.
This paves the way for the understanding that when Divine Law and Justice seem unfair, seem heartless or meaningless, it means simply that our precision of context of Cause & Effect is skewed and our temporal framing too narrow.
JUSTICE
Justice is blind
because she can look
into a past
only barely enlightened
by the embers of understanding
from a half remembered time,
which still glow
between the ashes
of primitive hearths
and once strident beacons.
And She, can look only
upon a full unfolding present,
by the torch light of the mob
which cast long lancing shadows
of pitchforks
upon her scroll of deeds,
But cast her veiled eyes
into a future not at all,
for it is dark
and none yet dwell there.
—Rocco Jarman
APPEARANCE & ARRANGEMENT
The card depicts a crowned, seated figure, in red robes and a green cape, a neutral or feminine, in one hand, the figure holds a pair of balanced scales, which are suspended in the air. In the other hand, the figure holds a double-edged sword pointing upwards. The throne itself is unadorned. Behind the seated figure, suspended between two stone pillars is a purple veil, and beyond a golden sky.
EGREGORE
Egregore is an esoteric concept representing an emergent archetypal thought-form that arises from collective thoughts.
The JUSTICE card represents the pillars of Cause & Effect that make creation and existence possible. The egregore is Instantiation of the Divine Logos.
In Archetypal terms, if Law is the promise that everything has Meaning, Justice is the keeping of the promise.
If we do not maintain justice, justice will not maintain us.
Francis Bacon
There can be nothing in creation and existence that is not subject ultimately to the Throne of the instantiation of Existence. Law & Justice are not restrictive or punitive, they are preservative: via Severity & Mercy.
THE UNFOLDING
The JUSTICE card is the second personified archetypal Virtue after Strength. This is the Throned Virtue.
Justice is a feminine figure in red robes, on a stone throne, between two grey pillars, which suspend a veil between them. The figure is crowned, with a blue square stone in the crown, cropped yellow hair, red robes and a green cape pinned at the breast with a white square and a red circle within.
Red & White are the archetypal symbols of the forces of Duality, expressed in various ways. Duality as a principle gives rise to a number of other Dualities. We recognise those dualities as: Masculine & Feminine, Active & Passive, Yin & Yang, Being & Non-Being. The colours White and Red feature in literary fiction (Alice in Wonderland) and are included as two key figures in Geomancy as Albus and Rubeus respectively.
In the right hand, is the double-edged sword, in the left, the scales.
One white foot extends below the red robes, the rational aspect.
The sword and the scales are gold-handled. The scales (Libra) have a serpent coiled on the handle, perfectly in balance. The tiny serpent coil is in the shape of the Hebrew Letter Yud(י), meaning “the Emanation of God”. The sword points directly up, indicating divine law. The bowls of the scales are equal in all measure, and balanced perfectly by ‘the fulcrum’.
The Serpent is always reminiscent of a movement of Divine Consciousness, either emanating from the source of Spirit (Nous), or the source of Soul which is the Body (Nature), our divine genius awakening through our body (Kundalini).
The grey pillars are neutral and objective in every respect. The violet veil indicates the blindness of Justice beyond which neither justice nor the view can see.
The red jewel on the white square is the egregor of Justice. The heart of clemency in justice and justice in clemency.
The throne is a simple seat, unadorned, and grounded on the same grey stone.
The blue gem in the crown represents ‘transparency of thought’, in alignment with Ideal, grounded in the square crenelations of the crown. This indicates that Justice is aligned with ideal, it is grounded and defensible.
The square motif on the breast, is a heart governed by a willingness to act.
The Two pillars are Geburah and Chesed: Severity & Mercy, the pillars of Justice, leading to Understanding & Wisdom.
The two green ribbons of the cape have spots and faces of a leopard. The leopard in the bible denotes astuteness, and also the notion of things that do not change their nature, one draping over each knee, indicating an awareness of the inherent duality of nature: Rational and Emotional, Left & Right Brain, both of which comprise a whole self, suggesting that Justice cannot be idealistic emotionally or rationally, but has to be wholistic.
SYMMETRY WITHIN THE DECK
Within the deck, there are symmetries and connections between the cards, defined by the relationship of the numbers, others thematically by the relationship of their symbols, archetypes and other essentialities.
The integral symmetry of this card shows up in several ways.
There are three virtues personified in the Major Arcana, STRENGTH(VIII), JUSTICE (XI) and TEMPERANCE (XIV). (8 … 11 … 14 … 17…)
Each card is separated by 3. 3 geometrically speaking, is the birthplace of Possibility, where the instantiation of the divine source code we call Logos is deployed to PROD, implying two inner worlds. The one, subject to divine law in balance and tension with natural law. This is the inner world of the subconscious that emerges from the soul of the body (the Form). The other is between divine law and regulation in the service of Flow. This is the inner world of the higher-consciousness that emerges from the Soul of Mind.
ALCHEMY
The Three virtues symbolise
Strength. The Striving Virtue. Our Lordship (Law and Justice) over our own Nature.
Justice. The Throned or Presiding Virtue. The Lordship of Divine Law over Natural and Worldly Law.
Temperance. The Moderating or Regulating Virtue. The Lordship of Flow, Regulation and the Temperance of Giving & Receiving.
Temperance does not meaning have no temper, it means the optimal temper. The alchemical metaphor of blacksmithing and forging a sword is relevant. The Blacksmith needs to master the nature of the metals and his environment, which he does by the form and cadence in the forge (Body), then tempering the blade infusing his intention into the metal (Mind) and then balancing the hardness and the softness, the flex and the firm edge (Spirit), how it will stand in relation to the world, giving the blade its character and its essence.
In the paradigm of Alchemy, this implies that the quintessence of a person is defined by how they stand in relation to Law and Justice, their mind is defined by their temperance, the ability to be still, to flow, and their mastery of their own nature.
Justice in the alchemical paradigm is the fact of cause and effect, the divine principle of duality of action emergent from Logos and fundamental to Natural Law is governed and ordered.
KABBALAH & JUDAIC MYSTICISM
In Kabbalah Justice is always paired with Law, forming the two pillars of Divine providence and dominion.
ALEF-BET
The 11th Letter in the Hebrew Alef-bet is Kaf(כ), meaning “Cup”. 11=10+1
Alef(א) is 1. Yud(י) is 10.
Alef(1) means “The Unutterable Silence of God prior to the Beginning.”
Yud(10) means “The Point of Emanation”.
Kaf (11) carries the enfolded implicit meaning of the cup of Receiving, the silent polarity of the spoken emanation (Word).
SEPHIROT
Midway up the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, are Gevurah (Severity) and Chesed (Mercy). The branch connecting them is assigned to Hebrew letter Nun(נ) meaning Faith. Nun is the 14th letter. (8 … 11 … 14 … 17…)
These two form the pillars of Justice and Law, both severe and merciful. The branches leading to these stations are Kaf(כ) and Yud(י), and are part of the pillars.
Leading up from these two, are Tazdi(צ) meaning ”Justice” or “The Lawgiver of a Generation” and Peh() meaning “Mouth”, which lead to Binah and Chokmah meaning Understanding and Wisdom respectively.
In Kabbalistic terms, a Generation is a cycle of Emanation, Mouth is where the Word originates.
This look at the Kabbalistic Sephirotic tree through the lens on this one pair of ideas of the Pillars of Law and Justice, gives the reader an insight into the branches and stations on the tree, their Hebrew names, the Alef-bet and all of these in their relation to our archetypal psyche and our ‘Mind of Forms’.
SERPENT & THE SCALES
The tiny serpent coil on the Scales, is in the shape of Hebrew Letter Yud(י), meaning “the Emanation of God”. The sword points directly up, indicating divine law.
HERMETIC LAWS & CONCEPTS
All of the 7 Principles are represented in this card.
The Ideal and Logos of the All. (The Mind/Reason of the All).
Duality and Correspondence. Justice is the only universal intermediary between the lower kingdom and the upper, between every microcosm and its macrocosm.
Vibration and emanation. The Virtue of Justice resonates with Justice & Law, but also is the Voice or the Word of Law. Vibration is what enlivens potential into actuality.
Polarity of all forces and Balance of all Forms and expressions. The scales operate because of a fulcrum, which is how duality is instantiated via Relativity.
Genderless in its neutrality relative to all the other Laws, but embodying essential masculine and feminine principles of Severity and Mercy.
Cadence, Periodicity and Cyclic nature of Justice & Law, implied by Cause & Effect expressed as the Law of Rhythm.
The Cause-and-Effect principle fundamental to instantiation of existence.
ASTROLOGY
The JUSTICE card is associated with the sign of Libra (♎︎), but also obscurely via Ovid, related to Virgo(♍︎).
Libra is ruled by Venus, associated with divine or aesthetic beauty which is associated with divine precision and form (harmony and balance). This is the ideal aspect of divine Law and Justice. The Ideal is informed by Beauty.
Libra is considered the cardinal Air sign. Air itself is symbolic of Ideal, and divine message or ‘Sent Word’.
LIBRAN
Libran simply means to be preoccupied with ‘balance of outcome’ like air pressure, with wind moving constantly between to maintain harmony. The greater the imbalance in pressure, the more violent and forceful the wind.
The very symbol of the scales is a representation of the Divine Fulcrum, on which everything swings, twists or turns.
MYTHOS & LOGOS
PAN-MYTHOS
Pan means “all”, “of everything” and “involving all participants”.
All of Mythology is the Mythology of Creation and establishment of Order, by cycles of destruction and re-iteration: Emergence. Each established Order had its own divine law and aegis. All Mythology is about Law and Justice, Fate and Destiny, Action and Consequence. Each subsequent order is an instantiation of the last via reversal or iteration.
This is the action of the Pendulum and the Fulcrum. If the Fulcrum moves, the pendulum begins to swing erratically to re-assert ‘balance’ between ‘Might’ and ‘Moderation’ (between Strength and Temperance). The symbol for eternity is a figure-eight for this reason.
Justice is the Pendulum, and the Law is the Fulcrum.
GREEK MYTHOS
Astraea in the Greek mythos is the virgin goddess of Justice and Precision.
A reminder, “just” means also “precise, exactly” as in “there is just one throne depicted in the card”.
ABRAHAMIC MYTHOS
Astraea is also referenced in John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost, in Book IV between lines 990 and 1000. When Satan is discovered in the Garden of Eden and brought before the Angel Gabriel, the two are on the verge of war.
"The Eternal Hung forth in Heav'n his golden Scales, yet seen Betwixt Astrea and the Scorpion signe, Wherein all things created first he weighd, The pendulous round Earth with ballanc't Aire In counterpoise, now ponders all events, Battels and Realms:"
The whole of Christianity (and Islam) are formulations of Mythos, for which the primary project outlined in their canonical scripture defines ‘the law’ according to their God, and the implication of ‘justice’ if that ‘law’ is abided with or not, and specifically where the allegorical is confused for literal.
Their fallibility is obvious via their incongruence with and ignorance of the aspects of Divine Law outlined by the sciences.
The tension between the allegorical and literal interpretations of scriptures is a significant aspect of both religions. Allegorical interpretations allow for more nuanced understandings that can evolve with new insights and knowledge, including scientific discoveries. In contrast, literal interpretations may lead to conflicts when scriptural accounts appear at odds with empirical evidence or when they seem to contravene established scientific understandings of the universe.
INNER REFLECTION
Thinking of the world and ourselves in terms of good and bad is a very small framing in which to consider the intricate and indelible design of balance, fairness, and the universal law of cause and effect that governs all existence.
Legal and moral principles have their place, but when trying to understand the vast scope of meaning that can encompass all of life, which cuts mercilessly across the short-lived boundaries of worldly laws and rulerships, the absolute preeminence and fundamentality of Divine Law and Justice is the only framing that always remains coherent with Reason. To walk on this earth, to breathe the air, to stand under the sun is to live under the Divine Law and Justice.
Here we see underscored the importance of alignment with one’s highest truth and the inevitable consequences of our actions, as reflected in the cosmic law of Cause & Effect.
This is the heart of the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have done unto you, if the shoe sat wholly on the other foot.
Here we are reminded that our relationships with others are reflections of our relationship with the universe, urging us to act with compassion, integrity, and a deep sense of responsibility for the collective well-being, no less our own.
The emergent essence, therefore, is one of profound interconnectedness and the responsibility each individual has to uphold balance within themselves and in their interactions with the world. It speaks to the necessity of conscious decision-making, the pursuit of equilibrium in all aspects of life, and the recognition of the universal patterns that guide the evolution of consciousness.
Divine Law is never incoherent with reality. Reality is emergent from—an instantiation and iteration of Divine Law.
In Archetypal terms, if Law is the promise that everything has Meaning, Justice is the keeping of the promise.
PRECISELY The wind rustling and loosing leaves is the ocean of air pouring through to fill an emptier space from the brimming cup of a fuller one, whispering the same Word: Equilibrium is the Law, imbalance is the invocation and Entropy is Justice, precisely. Where the fire has been and the form of wood called home to eternity the smoke marking the path it followed, always inscribed among the ashes the same testimony: Sacrifice is the Law and Transcendence is Justice precisely. The ripe and spineless juggernaut of the caterpillar crafting its own coffin surrendering its persistence of being to becoming, to dream the chrysalis dream beyond the turning of its own new leaf is the dream of the world waking through the winged emergence of the butterfly. The fierce sting of the noble bee in paying the utmost price for the highest cause is the cost and the gift, the honey and the hive. And together with the butterfly and every fluttering humming thing all the pollination of every flower whence comes every fruit and thence the promise of renewal, and abundance and of death precisely. Fate is the Law, Choice to Purpose is its invocation and Destiny its Justice precisely. Tension is the Law and Transformation is Justice. precisely. Relativity is the Law and Movement is Justice. Time and Space, the Scythe and the Scales —precisely. Where the word enters the void, there the Law is spoken precisely, precisely, precisely. Where there is the word there is movement, where there is movement, there is Cause. Where there is cause there is effect. Where there is effect, there is Reason. There the Law presides, and its severity and mercy both, giving and receiving are Justice precisely. The Law is Beauty and Desire is its Justice. The Law is Desire and Beauty is its Justice. The Judge is Love and Reason. What comes, to pass, is its Judgement, —precisely.
THE INVITATION
The Invitation is simply to see how much of your small framing of Law and Justice can give way to the notion of Reason presiding over all Cause & Effect, and to appreciate how Reason is Divine.
The invitation is into the sanctuary of understanding that what appears as unfairness or heartlessness in the unfolding of events under Divine Law is always a reflection of our limited understanding and never a flaw in the perfect cosmic order itself.
The invitation is to cultivate patience, wisdom, and a deeper sense of trust in the unfoldment of life, guided by the unseen but ever-present laws of the divine design, frequency, balance and ordering we call Logos.
The title image of this post depicts the scales of balance, which are governed by the logos, the laws and physics of the world they preside over.
The image itself invites contemplation of a more humble and open engagement with the mysteries of life, encouraging trust in the underlying fairness and purposefulness of the divine order, even when its workings are beyond immediate understanding.
The way we encounter Law and Justice in a more digestible human sense is explored in the post below.
If you are interested in joining me for an integrated exploration of your own Archetypes, Symbolism, Mythos, Totems and Astrology via the Hermetic lens, and have an appetite for something more deep and mature, schedule a call.
Reason and Necessity.
What is Singular above, is Dual Below. This describes the kite shape, with the individual subjective self in relation to the duality of existence and the singularity of uncaused cause.